Sons of an Illustrious Father Concert Recap

Photos: Terese Fountain

Political, personal, queer, and not afraid to show it, Sons of an Illustrious Fathers brought a sound like no other to the House of Blues Cambridge Room last Thursday. Their punk meets folk vibe creates powerful and inspiring music with the intentions of inspiring change. Ezra Miller's firm, gritty, expressive voice commanded your attention and combined with Josh Aubin's and Lilah Arson's mellow, folky tones bring you back down to rest. They opened their set with "Ppm" off of their 2016 album Revol and "Crystal Tomes" and "Extraordinary Rendition" from their new album Deus Sex Machina: Or, Moving Slowly Beyond Nikola Tesla.

Ezra and Lilah have known each other since they were children. What started as a crush led to a friendship, which led to a band. You could see their friendship play out on stage in between songs. There was a moment when Ezra started singing Happy Birthday to Lilah. The crowd joined in and when it was over an audience member shouted: "It's our birthday too!" Ezra then replied, "That's crazy, you guys have the same fake birthday as Lilah." You can listen to their new album here.

Opening for Sons of Illustrious Fathers, Henry the Archer also made a lasting impression. Frontman Richard Hennessy showcased raw emotions through his lyrics which were sharp and piercing. Accompanied by fellow bandmates Kevin Geist on the drums and Charles Marchbanks on bass, the band opened their set with "Nightmares" off of their 2014 album When Something "Means Nothing."

Photos: Terese Fountain

It was an intimate setting; the crowd had crammed themselves close to the stage barely leaving because they didn't want to lose their spot. Richard commented on the silence that swept over the audience saying, "I love the uncomfortable silences, its intimate, and it's great." Everyone laughed as the band got ready to get into their next song, a love song titled "I Love the Way" from their latest album Zero is a Number. Henry the Archer will be performing again in Dallas at Club Dada on October 29th.